The Life of Lazarus

This is the english-translated outline of the sermon preached by Rev. Musubi Tabuchi to the congregations of Ashiya Christian Church and Unfinished Community on Sunday, September 28, 2025, drawing from Luke 16:19-31.

The story of poor Lazarus, recorded only in Luke's Gospel, is also famous among classical music lovers for being beautifully sung at the end of French composer Fauré's Requiem (Mass for the Dead): “When you enter heaven, poor Lazarus will welcome you,” the song goes. This passage records a conversation between the rich man, who had lived luxuriously in life, and Abraham, concerning Lazarus, who had begged at the rich man's gate.

Why does Abraham, who is considered an ancestor of the Israelites, appear here? Well, within the Jewish faith of Jesus' time, the dead were believed to meet Abraham after the died, and then be transferred to a place described as “the place of torment” in the underworld. This theme is echoed in the story of Lazarus, just as it is sung in Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1: “He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.”

Lazarus himself though, was not a particularly devout man; he simply accepted whatever miserable circumstances were given to him, and accepted that he had no choice but to live obediently, and be content with his lot. In a sense, this may be the very essence of the believer's life; we do not live by what we possess, but are sustained only by what is given to us. Even if the rich man wished his children would not repeat his mistakes, it was probably impossible for them to live their lives like Lazarus—just as as impossible as a camel passing through the eye of a needle.

Let us pray,

God, we have come to live as if our own wealth alone sustains us, forgetting that we are beings who can only cling to You. Teach us anew the way of life for those who follow You.

We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who continues to love the poor and the sorrowful, even now.

Amen.